Anniversary rainy-terrace Korean BBQ in Namyangju: 2002 Witch's

A post after a long while-!! I recently visited a great Namyangju valley restaurant on my own dime, and it was so good I'm sitting down to write a proper review!

For our wedding anniversary we were scouting for somewhere with good atmosphere and good food, and my husband found this place — it turned out way better than expected.

An hour and a half from Yeongdeungpo, an hour flat from eastern Seoul

It took about an hour and a half from Yeongdeungpo, but from eastern Seoul it's apparently just an hour, so it's actually pretty accessible.

• 📍 Location: 142 Surero661beon-gil, Wabu-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 / break time 15:30–17:00
• 🥘 Menu: Jar-fermented cheese tomato-jang pork belly ₩25,000 / Crispy-outside soft-inside potato pancake ₩25,000 / Pollack roe scorched-rice stone-pot fried rice ₩5,000

It's near Myojeoksa Valley, so during summer water-play season this place must be absolutely wild.

Winding up along the mountainside, this atmospheric restaurant just appears haha. The parking lot was nice and spacious too.

Looks like the kind of place that would have opening-run lines in summer haha.

Indoor, terrace, and second floor — an outdoor-grill mood in the drizzle

The place was sizable — indoor plus terrace plus a second floor. Really good for group gatherings too.

And wow, the terrace atmosphere 👍👍👍 — that outdoor-grill feeling I can't get enough of. It even started drizzling that day, which only added to the mood. Right next to the valley, so you can hear the stream — total healing, ugh.

The tomato-jang pork belly is the signature dish, and they really do use good-quality, round, bright red tomatoes. You could even see the tomato-jang aging nicely in a jar, which boosted my trust in the place.

Coming in fall, an even quieter terrace view

Once we sat down on the terrace, this was the view..❤️ It would've been nice in summer too, but coming in cooler fall meant we got to enjoy a calm, quiet atmosphere — really charming! Perfect for a fall outing!! Not crowded at all, so you can fully enjoy nature with birdsong and stream sounds.

Self-serve side dishes — refilled the tomato kimchi more than once

The side dishes were clean and every one had great savory depth haha. The tomato kimchi in particular was such a treat I refilled it several times. There's a self-serve bar so you can eat as much as you want, ugh.

Jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly, finished with cheese and a torch

The jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly makes its entrance! The visual is insane.

Later they add cheese and use a torch to bring out that smoky flavor.

I was already won over by the atmosphere, but the food being this good made me really glad we came. You can choose the spice level, and I went with the mildest — the pleasant bit of heat combined with the tangy-sweet tomato flavor was totally my style..

They kindly even give you a guide on the best way to eat it, so we tried it different ways, yum.

All the side dishes are tasty, so eating them together makes each bite more varied — never a dull moment.

On the side: crispy-outside, soft-inside potato pancake

The Witch's crispy-outside soft-inside potato pancake looks crunchy just from the picture.. the nutty flavor of the potato really comes through, and it's literally crispy outside, chewy inside — a must-order side dish.

Timed with an hourglass: pollack roe scorched-rice stone-pot fried rice

We finished with the pollack roe-packed scorched-rice stone-pot fried rice — they give you this hourglass, and you eat once the sand runs out.

Flying fish roe popping along with the savory scorched-rice flavor made for a real treat — even though I was already full, I kept eating, ugh. The portion was generous too, I nearly burst…

A healing outdoor grill spot with high chairs and dogs welcome

High chairs were available and the restrooms were pretty clean, so overall I was really satisfied! Dogs are welcome too, so it's a great spot for the whole family to visit as an outing.

Especially being right next to the valley and up in the mountains, you can fully enjoy that natural outdoor-grill feeling — total healing, highly recommend, ugh. With food this good too, there's no reason not to go. Get there soon!!! Haha. There are also lots of pretty, good cafés nearby, so it's perfect for a drive out of Seoul — I'll definitely be back again soon.